Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill and General Manager Steve Keim introduce new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a news conference on Jan. 9, 2019 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz. Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill and General Manager Steve Keim introduce new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a news conference on Jan. 9, 2019 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwill (left) introduces new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a news conference on Jan. 9 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz. Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwill (left) introduces new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a news conference on Jan. 9 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwill (left) arrives with his new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a news conference on Jan. 9, 2019 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz. Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwill (left) arrives with his new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a news conference on Jan. 9, 2019 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

New York Jets third-string quarterback Kliff Kingsbury fires a pass from the pocket in the final seconds of the Jets 27-0 loss to the Denver Broncos in Denver on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2005. Associated Press

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

New York Jets third-string quarterback Kliff Kingsbury fires a pass from the pocket in the final seconds of the Jets 27-0 loss to the Denver Broncos in Denver on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2005.
Associated Press

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury celebrates with head coach Mike Leach in the final minutes of the fourth quarter against Clemson at the Mazda Tangerine Bowl on Monday, Dec. 23, 2002, in Orlando, Fla. Associated Press

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury celebrates with head coach Mike Leach in the final minutes of the fourth quarter against Clemson at the Mazda Tangerine Bowl on Monday, Dec. 23, 2002, in Orlando, Fla.
Associated Press

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is joined by coach Kevin Sumlin and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury after becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012 in New York. Associated Press

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is joined by coach Kevin Sumlin and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury after becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012 in New York.
Associated Press

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech student Ellen Elizabeth Perron shows her support for head coach Kliff Kingsbury in the game against Oklahoma State on Nov. 2, 2013. Michael C. Johnson, Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech student Ellen Elizabeth Perron shows her support for head coach Kliff Kingsbury in the game against Oklahoma State on Nov. 2, 2013.
Michael C. Johnson, Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury speaks to the media during the 2014 Big 12 Media Day in Dallas. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury speaks to the media during the 2014 Big 12 Media Day in Dallas.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Patrick Mahomes watch a replay on the video board during a game against West Virginia. Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Patrick Mahomes watch a replay on the video board during a game against West Virginia.
Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury speaks to the media during the 2017 Big 12 media days at the Frisco Star Ford Center near Dallas. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury speaks to the media during the 2017 Big 12 media days at the Frisco Star Ford Center near Dallas.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury watches from the sidelines during a game against West Virginia. Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury watches from the sidelines during a game against West Virginia.
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury speaks to the media during 2018 Big 12 football media days at the Ford Center at the Star. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury speaks to the media during 2018 Big 12 football media days at the Ford Center at the Star.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury questions a call by the officials in a game against Kansas State at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury questions a call by the officials in a game against Kansas State at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

A Texas Tech fan in a wedding dress has a message for the Red Raiders head coach Kliff Kinsgbury on Oct. 31, 2015. Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

A Texas Tech fan in a wedding dress has a message for the Red Raiders head coach Kliff Kinsgbury on Oct. 31, 2015.
Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury checks the scoreboard during the second quarter of the game against the Baylor Bears in 2018. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury checks the scoreboard during the second quarter of the game against the Baylor Bears in 2018.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

In this Nov. 10, 2018 file photo Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury walks off the field after the team's NCAA college football game against Texas in Lubbock, Texas. The Arizona Cardinals have hired Kingsbury, a move aimed at providing guidance for young quarterback Josh Rosen and resuscitating the worst offense in the NFL. The Cardinals announced the hiring Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2018 after a long interview earlier in the day. Brad Tollefson/AP

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

In this Nov. 10, 2018 file photo Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury walks off the field after the team's NCAA college football game against Texas in Lubbock, Texas. The Arizona Cardinals have hired Kingsbury, a move aimed at providing guidance for young quarterback Josh Rosen and resuscitating the worst offense in the NFL. The Cardinals announced the hiring Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2018 after a long interview earlier in the day.
Brad Tollefson/AP

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Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill and General Manager Steve Keim introduce new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a news conference on Jan. 9, 2019 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz.

Cardinals fans seemed to be in a tizzy about why the team wouldn’t or didn’t reach out to former head coach Bruce Arians about possibly returning as the club’s coach. Especially in recent weeks when Arians let it be known publicly he was interested in getting back on an NFL sideline after spending one year in the television booth as an NFL analyst for CBS Sports.

After expressing interest in possibly coaching the Browns, Arians this week accepted the Buccaneers’ head coaching position and will be formally introduced in Tampa on Thursday.

“It’s great that he did, but we were already well down the process before we realized Bruce was potentially serious about (coaching again),” Bidwill said. “There was a lot of talk about Cleveland, but when the Tampa thing started looking real, we were already well down the process here.

“I wish him all the luck in the world.”

The Cardinals, who meet Arians and the Buccaneers next season, were able to acquire a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft from Tampa Bay as compensation for the Bucs hiring Arians. Technically, Arians was still under contract with the Cardinals for 2019 as part of a club option left on his deal.

The two sides huddled Tuesday night during a conference call and hammered out a deal that involves the Cardinals sending a seventh-round pick to the Buccaneers for Tampa’s sixth-rounder.